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Can mindfulness drawing help?

Have you wondered if there’s something else than sitting down in lotus position to help you feel more relaxed?

Most of us have heard of meditation. Usually when we hear the word ‘meditation’ we get the image of sitting down and focusing on breathing.

I have used creative methods with my clients and have been teaching mindfulness drawing to groups. Why? Because many activities can be considered meditative.

Let’s focus today on mindfulness drawing.

I will teach you the basics right now.

You don’t need to know how to draw at all. Most of my group participants haven’t drawn since childhood and that is really common.

You just need a few basic things to get started:

When you want to have those quiet moments just for yourself, it’s important to be in environment where you are not disturbed.

If you are just starting out, 10-15 min. is a really good start.

Grab a paper and a pencil and something you want to draw. It can be a coffee mug or anything you can find.

Hold your pen sideways to get more softer lines.

Look at what you want to draw and focus on the shape.

Start drawing and don’t erase any lines. This is important! Every line is perfect.

Let go of any thoughts of perfection, this is your interpretation of what you are seeing and what your hand can produce right now.

Good to know:Your mind is going to wander off in seconds.

It’s important to bring yourself back to the drawing and focus only on what you are seeing. Your mind wonders because you are human. The key to mindfulness drawing is noticing when your thoughts drift to other things, past or present. When you notice this happening, bring yourself back to the present moment. It can feel uncomfortable and frustrating at first. With practice and time you will develop a new skill that will help you create those peaceful moments in the now.

One of my Mindfulness Drawing group participant said:

“When I was noticing my thoughts and bringing myself back to the drawing, I could stay in the present moment a little bit longer every time. It was great!”

We have thousands and thousands of thoughts every day. Our mind can be really busy creating worst case scenarios of what could happen in the future or remembering awful things that happened in the past. We need those quiet times when we can let go of those thoughts that are not helpful.

Give this a go and let me know how you are feeling after your first few practise times!